On the last day of February, the world woke up to the news of Operation “Epic Fury”, a joint US-Israeli military campaign targeting Iran’s missile infrastructure, air defenses, and command centers. On Israel’s side, it was its largest air combat operation in history, involving around 200 fighter jets. The timeline of events was as follows:
Feb 28, 2026: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) initiated Operation Epic Fury under presidential orders. Targets were the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command facilities, missile and drone launch sites, military airfields, and integrated air defense systems.
March 2–4, 2026: Israeli Air Force deployed around 200 fighter jets, striking over 500 sites across western and central Iran.
March 4, 2026: U.S. Navy destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) launched Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles in support of the operation.
The objective of the campaign was to neutralize Iran’s missile arsenal in order to reduce the threat of strikes against Israel and U.S. forces in the region. Further objectives included degrading Iranian air defenses in order to expand Israeli and U.S. aerial freedom of operation, disrupt command and control nodes of the IRGC to weaken Iran’s ability to coordinate retaliatory attacks, and signal deterrence by demonstrating close U.S.–Israeli military coordination and willingness to act decisively. The campaign left Iran’s missile capability significantly degraded, reducing immediate threats to Israel and U.S. bases.
This incident wasn’t without provocation. In mid-February, Iran and its allied militias launched waves of missile and drone strikes against Israeli territory and U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. While many were intercepted, some caused casualties and damage, raising alarm about Iran’s growing arsenal.
Iranian-backed groups had also been intensifying attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. This disrupted global oil flows and added pressure on Western governments to respond.
Perhaps most ominously, U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies reported that Iran was preparing a large-scale missile barrage against Israel, potentially involving hundreds of precision-guided weapons. This intelligence was a key trigger for preemptive action. The truth of these claims of course, are difficult to verify.
In response, Iran launched short‑range ballistic missiles and swarms of drones at Israeli targets, including bases in the Negev and Haifa. Most were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow defense systems, but a few caused localized damage.
Terrorist and militia groups weren’t left out. Hezbollah in Lebanon and militias in Iraq and Syria escalated rocket and drone attacks on U.S. and Israeli positions, acting as Iran’s extended arm. Iranian fast‑attack boats also harassed shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears of disruption to global oil flows.
The ripple effects of the disruption to global oil flows are already reverberating half a world away in Nigeria, as citizens on the Lagos mainland and island woke up to petrol prices of a 1,000 naira per litre, causing long queues to form at petrol stations that were still selling below a 1,000 naira.
Private car owners and commercial drivers are seen forming long lines at MRS stations, particularly along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, where petrol was selling at about N937 per litre.
Despite the rush for fuel, some filling stations, including those operated by NNPC Limited, were not dispensing petrol as of early Saturday. Reports show that earlier, Dangote Petroleum Refinery raised the ex-depot price of petrol from N774 to N874 per litre, a N100 increase that has begun to ripple through retail pump prices.
Analysts warned that if the conflict persists and supply chains remain disrupted, energy prices could climb further, adding inflationary pressure to economies worldwide and complicating efforts by central banks to stabilize prices.
